- Touchlight, a UK-based CDMO, is collaborating with the University of Liverpool to develop a personalised DNA vaccine for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
- The vaccine will utilise Touchlight’s doggybone DNA (dbDNA) technology, which can speed up the drug development process.
- A Phase I trial, funded by the UK’s Medical Research Council, will begin in the second half of 2024 at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
Touchlight, a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) based in the UK, has announced a collaboration with the University of Liverpool. The partnership aims to utilise Touchlight’s proprietary doggybone DNA (dbDNA) technology in the development of a personalised DNA vaccine for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This vaccine will be assessed in a clinical trial.
Touchlight’s dbDNA is a small, closed loop of DNA that is synthesised in a lab using enzymes. This innovative technique can expedite the drug development process by amplifying long and complex DNA sequences without the need for traditional methods like bacterial fermentation. The term ‘doggybone DNA’ refers to the structure of the synthesised DNA molecule, which resembles a bone with two loops at each end.
The dbDNA technology offers a way to make vaccines very quickly, especially for personalised treatments. In March 2023, Touchlight received a £14m ($17.7m) grant from the UK government for commercial scale manufacturing of this technology. A team at the University of Liverpool will use Touchlight’s dbDNA technology to develop a fully personalised therapeutic neoantigen DNA vaccine for NSCLC patients. Neoantigens are naturally occurring proteins found on the surface of cancer cells that train the immune system to recognise and fight abnormal lung cells.
The Phase I trial, funded by the UK’s Medical Research Council, will accrue 10 patients at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. The first patients are expected to be enrolled in the second half of 2024. This trial represents a significant step forward in the fight against NSCLC, and the medical community eagerly awaits its results.
In conclusion, the collaboration between Touchlight and the University of Liverpool signifies a promising advancement in the field of personalised medicine and contract manufacturing. The potential impact of this NSCLC vaccine could be transformative for patients worldwide, marking a new era in cancer treatment.
